Aug 2, 2012 3:21 PM

I just joined this forum, as running is becoming more and more of a passion for me with each race I run. I'mg lad to be here to share/receive advice and encouragement!

So why not brag about your most recent race? You should be proud of such an accomplishment, and you can offer advice and encouragement to others who are busy training for their own upcoming event.

My most recent race was the San Francisco Half Marathon (1st Half, July 29, 2012). This was my second half marathon, and boy, it was a tough one! I have never encountered so many challenging hills! But what a scenic setting. I ran across the Golden Gate Bridge, where someone stepped on the back of my heel and twisted my ankle. Definitely slowed me down a bit. I finished with a time of 2:52:31, but not bad considering I almost didn't finish at all!

For anyone looking who may be looking for a challenging yet beautiful race to run next summer, I'd recommend the SF Marathon or Half Marathon. There is also a 5k!

I just PR'd in my 5K last weekend with a 28:25 and did the Rock N Roll 10K the weekend before that. Both were pretty awesome! I deff. reccomend doing one of the Rock N Roll Marathon Series runs. Check out my reviews of each.

I just got into running about 2 1/2 months ago after not having run for about 10 years (I'm a guy who's 28 years old). I've run three 5ks so far, and have been dramatically increasing my finishing times:

Sept. 8th - 27:27

Sept. 22nd - 24:14

Oct. 20th - 22:55

The last one I ran on the 20th, I finished in 21st place out of almost 200 people. Considering I haven't run for that long, I am very pleased! I would like to keep running 5ks and see how low I can get my time down to, but now I'm getting into doing longer distances as well. I signed up for my first ever half marathon in April at Rutgers University. Finishing is obviously my number 1 goal, but I would like to see if I can do it under 2 hours! I just ran 7 miles this morning at around a 9:15 pace, so I think it's very attainable. Will be running another 5k on Nov 3rd and Nov 24th. Just trying to balance speed workouts with longer runs. I'm very excited to contine my training!

Sort of similiar story to desertfox, started running again after not running for about 19 years. Last race was runned by calico running in Nevada called 'Mardi Gras 5k/10k.' A race in Boulder City, NV on 02/09/13.

It was a very challenging course to say the least...which is what calico is known for, most of their runs are runned on beautiful trails, but lots of hills and rolling hills and so forth.

Anyway, it was a cold morning and probably ran a mile around railroad pass hotel just to try to warm up. I ran the 5k race. Thought it was going to take me a long time to get there to the race since I live more in the North side of Las Vegas, but got there super fast. So ended up parking close to the start line and was a pain to get out, almost running one guy over. Sorry whoever you are. I won't make that mistake again if I run more races in that area.

At any rate, my goal was simple: run a 7:59 min per mile or at least faster than the last race I ran (which was 12/22/12, santa run 5k which I ran at about an 8:10 per mile pace). Unfortunately, a lady before the race told me it was a challenging course with hills and all I can think of was, darn it, will have to just try to survive it.

The last time I raced hills was a long long time ago, I ran a 5k pepperdine university run back in 93 or 94. I remember it seemed that course was just uphill with no downhill, but it was a long time ago. I do remember running 5k's on the track at around a 6 minute flat pace at the time and ended up running that pepperdine race at around 20:30. So it was tough.

So fast forwarding to the Mardi Gras 5k, the race started and right away was a hill that was about 800-1000 meters and if it was a 5% incline, that would be close to the mark I think. My mind reverted right back to 19 years ago and I remembered some training tips on uphill, pump the arms, quicker strides, yadda yadda. All I could think of is, I can't breathe. lol. Anyway, after that beginning was rolling hills, up and down, till the turn around back. First mile was 8:33 (chip time) and I was...well, not happy.

It did feel slow, but I thought no way was I even getting close to an 8 minute pace average with only 2 miles to go. But it had a nice little downhills recovery with gentle rolling hills after that, was able to catch my breath, and ran the second mile at around an 8 minute pace. Then fortunately, the last mile was mostly downhill, and I started to fly, remembering tips on downhill running, relaxing my body, letting my legs churn, and ran the last mile at about a 7:30 pace, probably faster because of the extra .1 mile. So anyway ended up at an 8:01 pace for the race.

I was pleased, even though I finished second in my age group (age 40-49) (only 1st in each age group receivede an award) and the first guy was right in front of me, finishing 3 seconds ahead of me. Ugh...but thankfully to him, he made me run faster. Which incidentally, made me bubble boy the second 5k I ran, the last one, Santa Run, gave winning certificates to the top 3 places in my age group, I came in 4th lol....we will see what the Cirque Du Sol race brings.

So that was my last race experience. Everyone got a finishers medal, a cool shirt, and a cool memory. I prefer flat and fast courses, but once in a while, enjoy a challenge and would like to have a race every now and then that is a bit challenging.

Just ran the Cirque Du Soleil 5k race today at the spring preserve, Las Vegas, NV. Weather recently started to warm up in Vegas, hitting highs of 89 degrees F now. In other words, wasn't used to the heat, but pumped thru it anyway.

Alot of people at this 5k race...not sure how many, but well over a thousand for sure. The path was not that wide, so was overly crowded and although I started about maybe 50 feet from the start line, took a bit to get over the start. I think next year Cirque needs to seriously consider changing how they do this race or getting more creative or thinking outside the box, it's getting too numerous for the current status quo in my humble opinion.

So I'll start with the negative criticisms first then positive, and then go into the race itself:

1. Race started too late, 8:30 am. Got way too hot when it didn't have to be, perhaps to let Mayor Goodman sleep in a bit later? Race should of started at 7:30 am, 8:00 am at the latest and made a cooler race for everyone involved.

2. No mile 2 marker. At least, I'm 90 percent sure and don't think I would of missed something like that.

3. Race was too crowded and path too narrow to not separate runners into time corrals. To give credit, they did separate walkers and runners thanks the

powers that be. But it wouldn't of been too hard to have sub-20 min in front, 20-22 behind them, 22-24 behind them, and so forth. So what resulted was slow, medium, and fast runners at the start in a cluster chaos in the beginning. I mean, ladies and their baby strollers in the front at start? Runners, let's just say, overweight, shoving to start upfront? Shouldn't of happened.

4. Up and back course when it seemed it didn't have to be an up and back course. Normally not a deal breaker, but when you have a narrower (narrower than street) race and very crowded race, might be better to have a circle or looped course than an up and back one.

5. Listed real-time unofficial results posted somewhere. I looked and couldn't find it, so just left. If they did have it, need to advertise it better and let people know where they can look at the results.

6. Mile 3 marker was definitely off. The .1 left seemed to be .25 or .3, other runners that where ahead of me agreed. Although we didn't have any means to measure.

To sum up the negative, it seemed they planned this event/get together and the race organization, although important, seemed to take less importance than the facts that it was the spring preserve, cirque du Soleil performers performed, and the Mayor was there. Okay, great, but don't forget this is a race and it seemed more was needed to be put organization into the race.

I can't list the negative criticisms without listing some positive one's as well...

1. Very cool venue. Spring preserves is awesome, an oasis in the desert with flaura and fauna and natural beautiful and trails set in the middle of a big city. It's a cool place for a race.

2. Good vibes. Everyone was very friendly and just enjoying themselves and was nice to see. Lot's of families and kids, was very family friendly. Face painting was there, cirque performers in garb and makeup, some walking 10 feet tall with stilts, big butterfly get-ups, was kinda neat.

3. Had extra water stations, which was extremely helpful as the weather was warm.

So...the race itself...

Course reasonably flat with some inclines, perhaps 3%, mostly on the turnaround last mile, which made a faster first mile. Course was on pavement with oasis scenary.

I decided this time around I would do a hard effort, race pace, 5k on Tuesday ( 4 days before the race, on treadmill, 1% incline), and take Wed, Thur, and Fri off to freshen up the legs. Was a good call as my legs felt very good on race day. I ran the treadmill 5k in 23:36. So my goal on race day was to be around 7:30 pace per mile, which is pretty much what happened, but not the way I thought.

I made the classic error of starting off too fast, but not disasterous. Ran first mile in 6:50 pace. Somewhat excusable as it was alot of slight downward inclines and was trying to get away from the slower runners that pushed to the front. It was Too fast, but didn't kill my race, but obviously slowed my time later as I ended up running the race at 23:33 (7:35 pace). Second mile was slower but don't know how slow as I didn't see mile 2 markers...Third mile I knew was slow because I was hot and tired, and was pretty much all on an upward incline towards the end.

When I completed the race, I grabbed two water cups and drenched myself like I was doing pretty much the whole race trying to keep cool. Talked to some runners ahead of me about the mile 3 marker seeming to be off. Then went to see some results of the race somewhere on a screen but couldn't find it. So I just went home.

So to just wrap it up, was happy with my time, although I realize if I kept it a bit slower in the first mile probably could of ran it 10-20 seconds faster. If the race started earlier with cooler weather, who knows if that would of made a faster time as well. Was a PR and my third race since going back to running. The results aren't posted yet so no idea how I did amongst other runners and my age group. Will I run this race again? Not sure. A great family type race, neat venue, but race organization was not great.

My first race experience coming back to running, the come run with santa 5k at Henderson, NV Findlay Chevrolet.

This was definitely the coldest race I ever ran, was in the upper 20's, lower 30's Farenheit. I had no winter wear really, wearing my

sweats until 5 minutes from the start, running to my car, taking off my sweats, then running to the start. Then immediately after

the race, running back to the car and throwing the sweats back on.

Anyway, I was not expecting the time I got, 25:19 for 5k. I called my wife and said my goal was to get under 27 minutes, but I guess

the combination of a fast flat course and cold temperatures made me run fast. That and a guy with a dog who kept passing me then stopping

for the dog to pee, then passing me and stopping again for the dog to poo, and this went on and on for 2/3rds of the race. For some reason,

made me upset and caused me to run hard. But he was a stronger runner than I and passed me in the last third of the race and didn't see him

after that.

At the end of the race, had some frozen blueberry muffins and frozen cinnamin rolls and froze while I awaited the awards ceremony and found I came in 4th

in my age groups, top three got awards.

All in all, was a very well runned race and look forward to racing with these guys again. Course very flat, definitely PR course. Run times are real-time and available for all to see right at the finish. Oh, I never saw Santa Clause at the race by the way.

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